Grayson's plight
by Bl4ckHunter
Summary: One-shot story. Dick fights with his inner demons and resentment towards Bruce.


**Something I wanted to write after watching teaser for Season 2 of _Titans. _The first half is the same as my other one-shot about Dick, "_Identity Crisis_".**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _DC Comics _or _Batman _or _Nightwing_ comic books.**

* * *

12-year old Dick was sitting at the grave of his parents as Mr. Haly, his mentor and owner of Haly's Circus, sat next to him.

"They loved you, you know that, Dick." Haly said. "They would be proud of you, you know that, right?"

"It was a sabotage. I overheard the cops." Dick said, much to Haly's surprise. "They burned the trapeze ropes with acid. And the police can't find them."

"You shouldn't worry about it, Dickie." Haly tried to assure him.

"Is it true?" Dick whirled on Haly, who nodded reluctantly.

"They'll face justice. Someone will find them." Haly assured Dick. "I spoke with Abigail. It sounds like Bruce Wayne really wants to take you in."

"What? What about you? I want to be with you, Raya, Percy and everyone else." Dick said, more than a little surprised.

"I know. But your parents would want what's best for you. And you're my family too, Dickie but…" Haly explained.

"Living with you is what's best for me." Dick protested.

"Bruce Wayne is a very wealthy and good man. And he can give you everything I can't." Haly said as Dick's eyes filled with tears.

"I don't want to go. Please. Don't make me go." Dick turned to Haly.

"Dickie, trust me. I want to look after you but I can't. Bruce Wayne… he can look after you like I never could. And I know you'll be strong, son. I'm sure Mary and John believe it's best for you." Haly said, holding Dick's shoulder.

* * *

Dick angrily threw one of his shurikens at a target as Barbara entered.

"I thought you might have had some fun." Barbara said.

"It wasn't fun at all." Dick snapped. "The Joker."

"Oh." Barbara said, realizing what happened. "He is… scary."

"Bruce said I should have stayed back but I didn't listen." Dick sighed. "Now I think he was right."

"What happened?" Barbara asked.

Dick paused before speaking up, pain in his eyes. "A lot of people died. I… I can't do this anymore, Babs."

"I don't blame you." Barbara nodded. "But do you think he's going to quit too? The Joker?"

"No." Dick admitted. "Bruce says the Joker kills just for the fun of it. Because he can and we can't stop him. Why do you always have to be right?!" He snapped angrily.

"Because I'm a bit older, smarter and prettier than you, Dick." Barbara teased as Dick chuckled. "You can't give up on hope. If you stop believing, then this is all for nothing."

Dick smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate your help. At least you're better at pep talk, than Bruce. Well, he's good at anything but pep talk."

"I'm always here for you, Dick. You know that." Barbara said.

* * *

"Wow. Taking down the dude who killed your parents must have felt awesome." Jason Todd said as he looked at old news articles about Dick, who was calling himself Nightwing nowadays as Jason freshly started as Robin.

"Yeah. That's the problem. If I were you, I wouldn't get a fun out of it much. All those years Bruce was helping me, he was making me his weapon in his war. And he may have you convinced that you can get anything you want but you can't un-learn and turn off what he teaches you and you can't control it. Trust me, going down this road, it's gonna fill you up with so much darkness, one day, you're gonna snap and you might beat the crap out of a good man just for the fun of it." Dick warned. "There's a price to pay for wearing that mantle. And trust me, if you don't know what you're getting yourself into, it might become too high for you." Dick said, still bitter after he and Bruce had a falling out and he quit as Robin.

* * *

"Master Bruce… filled the pain inside him the only way he knew." Alfred explained as Dick was tired of becoming Nightwing and stared at the fireplace. "With anger and violence. And some people, like Miss Prince or Master Kent, Wonder Woman or Superman… protect the innocent. Batman punishes the guilty. But you're not either of them, Master Grayson. Maybe you should reconsider what being Nightwing costs you and think what you can do as Dick Grayson. That darkness you carry, it may infect everyone around you. And I think we all know the best how it turned out for Master Bruce. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

"I'm trying to." Dick said.

"You can't have it both ways, Master Grayson." Alfred explained. "Not since you took on that mask. And you can't be Nightwing or Robin because ultimately, those are only echo chambers for Master Wayne's pain and yours."

"I'm not Batman." Dick protested.

"Don't be Batman or Nightwing. Be something else." Alfred said. "Someone, who doesn't need to channel the darkness within you."

* * *

Sometime later, Dick retired, living a normal life somewhere in Bludhaven as a trainer of acrobats.

Then, one day, he got a visit. "Hey, Dick."

"Hey, Barbara." Dick said, seeing his former lover on a wheelchair.

"Dick, we need to talk." Barbara said.

* * *

"Bruce shut us all out after the Joker killed my Dad and Alfred in the bombing." Barbara explained.

"God… I'm sorry." Dick sighed.

"By the time Bruce found him… I've seen him angry before but this…" Barbara paused and shivered at the thought. "I think he's finally snapped."

"Barbara, you know Bruce would never do that. He has his limits." Dick protested.

"Things have changed, Dick." Barbara said. "First this…" She pointed at her legs. "Then Jason, then Alfred and my Dad died. It's like something inside him snapped. I need your help. You've never seen that but he was never the same after you and him had a falling out and you left. He won't listen to me or Tim but he might still listen to you. You're the first person asides from Alfred he ever really cared about since his parents died. You need to talk him down."

Dick sighed and got up, considering. "No. I swore I would never…"

"Dick, do you remember how you almost killed Tony Zucco? You of all people should understand. If Bruce kills him, we're gonna lose him. Forever. I know you're still bitter towards him but please." Barbara pleaded. "Batman is the only hero left in Gotham with the sense of justice. If he crosses that line, we're gonna lose our city. Forever."

"Barbara, you know that once he sets his mind onto something, there's no talking him out. He's not my responsibility." Dick snapped as Barbara shot him a look. "Sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"It's OK. I understand." Barbara assured him. "Dick. Please."

* * *

Dick landed in Gotham City and as the taxi driver drove him down the town and saw how much it had gone down to hell, people on the streets, living like homeless people, buildings half ruined and windows shattered as Dick dialed a number.

"Bruce. I know… we've been on odds but… please, talk to me. Whatever it is you're going through, let me help you."

Dick then saw people with guns yelling at each other with the policemen beating them up.

"Jesus, what the hell happened here?" Dick wondered.

"You haven't been in Gotham before?" The driver asked.

"It's been a while since I was here the last time." Dick admitted.

"Every part's a bad part now." The driver explained as Dick stared in horror.

* * *

Dick dialed a number as he sighed. "_This is Bruce Wayne. I am currently unavailable. Leave a message after the dial tone and I might call back._"

Dick took a breath. "Bruce, if you're there… I don't want to talk to a damn voicemail." He then sighed in frustration. "Look, you're not a murderer. I know what you're going through. I felt empty after Tony Zucco died and I was in a dark place for a long time and no one, especially you, shouldn't go through that. And then, I met some kids that helped me pull back from the edge too. Sounds familiar? Please, don't go down this dark place, it's not too late. You can make it out, if I did too. Please. But I need you to talk to me."

Bruce visited the Wayne Manor but it was empty and the entrance to the Batcave was locked. "Bruce. Let me in. Bruce."

Dick sighed, leaving.

* * *

Dick rented a hotel room as he watched the news.

"_…creating chaos and taking the law into their own hands._" Commissioner Ellen Yindel announced on the press conference. "_The previous commissioner, Jim Gordon, kept a close relationship with various masked crime-fighters. But that, in turn, attracted masked criminals, which ultimately cost him his life. The days of tolerating vigilante justice in Gotham City are over. The crime in this city is, and should always have been, a police matter._ _And the Gotham City Police Department, shall ensure law, order and justice and as an expression of this promise, the Bat-Signal shall be as of today, permanently out of service._"

One of the officers then smashed the Bat-signal with an axe.

Dick then heard screaming as he went next door to see a man attempting to rape a woman as Dick engaged him and knocked him out with a frypan.

"You OK?" Dick asked as the woman nodded before recognizing Dick.

"Wait, aren't you Dick Grayson? That acrobat?" Dick nodded as the woman looked surprised. "Why would someone like you come back here?"

"Sentimental, I guess." Dick said.

Dick went down before he heard on the radio of one of the officers responding to the screaming something that shocked him. "Batman killed the Joker. I repeat, Batman killed the Joker."

* * *

Dick checked the crime scene and saw the Joker dead, crashed on a roof of a car.

"Holy God, Bruce…" Dick whispered, not believing his own eyes.

Dick then rushed up on the rooftop, wearing a ski mask and saw three policemen on the ground, dead, with batarangs sticking out of their chests before he spotted Batman.

"Bruce, wait!" Dick yelled as Batman glided away.

* * *

"There's no helping him anymore." Lieutenant Harvey Bullock said. "Only Jim would make him listen. He has to be stopped."

"I know who he is." Dick stepped up, realizing that Batman was too far gone.

"Dick? Who is Batman?" Yindel asked.

"Bruce Wayne." Dick said bluntly.

"Oh, please…" Harvey snorted.

"I'm serious. Batman is Bruce Wayne." Dick repeated and Yindel and Harvey stared at him in shock.

"Holy crap…" Bullock whispered.

* * *

"Our explicit goal is to bring in Batman, Bruce Wayne, alive and we go in with full, extreme force. Injure him severely if necessary but we need Batman alive." Yindel ordered. "Demolition team will charge first, SWAT and sharpshooters will follow my orders. Tranq ammo only. Let's move!"

"You don't know who you're up against." Dick protested.

"I don't follow your orders, Grayson." Yindel sneered.

* * *

The SWAT entered the Wayne Manor, preparing charges across the manor as Dick observed, realizing how much in over their heads they were.

"Bruce, if you're hearing this. Either leave or give up but please, don't hurt them. They're good people. Either way, just stop, please." Dick pleaded as he dialed Bruce's number until he heard explosions, gunshots and screams as he paled.

* * *

Batman was beating up and slicing throats with batarangs of the officers and policemen, especially Captain Yindel before one of the officers pulled out C4 but Batman threw a batarang, resulting in a large explosion.

* * *

Dick entered, seeing the dead policemen, especially Yindel as he entered, glaring at Batman, buried under the rubble.

"Jesus, Bruce. You killed them all. You wanted me to give into the darkness. Be like you." Dick said. "Well, screw you, Bruce. You win." Dick stepped on Bruce's throat and grunted before there was 'crack' and Batman limped back with closed eyes.

* * *

Dick gasped as he woke up and buried his face into his hands in frustration, realizing how deep his anger towards Bruce went as he considered whether he should make peace with his former mentor.

* * *

**It may be quite dark but I think that at some times, especially, when Dick quit being Robin and became Nightwing, he and Bruce do not see eye to eye.**

**Please review and let me know if you have enjoyed this one-shot.**

**With regards**

**_Bl4ckHunter_**


End file.
